Persistence
by YouSentMeFlying
Summary: Eli, a new found young writer, attempts to track down his mystery girl he met at a train station.


**It's not my best fic, but I was bored and owing some people a new EClare one shot, so I scribbled it down without an actual outline. O_O I'm terrible at doing that since I'm lazy as hell. **

Today was the day Eli Goldsworthy was departing for Ottawa to a book signing. He'd just published his very first novel about a writer struggling with the pull of insomnia, and how he would create greatest masterpieces in the late hours of the night – Eli's publishers had scheduled him a release party and book signing a week from today; he was leaving Toronto early for interviews before the release. Eli was one of the youngest writers from Toronto to be published in over a decade; he was beyond extremely excited.

He just got into the train station and was entering his port for the three-thirty train. He slipped down into a cold metal bench chair, a young woman about his age sitting there next to him; his head was spinning from the coffee and _Red Bull_ he'd chugged down and hour before. He peered over at the young girl sitting beside him; she was dressed in a blue floral sundress, and a denim jacket gently sweeping over the dress. Her beauty is beyond any type of compare, with dirty blonde hair with a hint of auburn curls, with pale soft skin, and eyes of the colour of the sky. The girl's pink, plump lip was being tugged between her white teeth, her expression in deep concentration, and a Chuck Palahniuk book sitting on top of her crossed legs.

"Fight Club," Eli pointed out; it was his all-time favourite book, about a young man who spent his sleepless nights in a club, fighting against different opponents each night.

She looked up from her book to face Eli; her blue eyes smoldered under the flaming luminous light. Her face was angelic, kissed by the fairest and most beautiful angel of them all. She was perfect. "You read Palahniuk?" she asked him in shock. What were the odds of her sitting next to someone who was a bigger fan of the novelist than she was?

"Fight Club is my favourite book! The characters and general plotline are so dark and warped."

"I know!" She smiled broadly. She's never met anyone who shared her interest in Palahniuk as much as Eli – it was exciting for her to finally find someone. "He's my writing motivation."

Eli's eyes widened; he's just met this girl and they already shared so many things in common with each other. He could never talk to Adam about books or writing since he thought the whole subject was 'boring and a waste of precious time'. "I'm a writer too. I'm actually on my way to my very first release party now."

She raised her eyebrows at his comment. This girl wrote a lot of vampire fanfiction during her spare time, but she wasn't good enough to publish her own works; maybe when she was older, but at the moment there was a hint of childish composition in her wording. "That's great, good for you," she told him, heartfelt. This girl was on her way to visit her aunt who was having a family get together over the weekend in Calgary. Her mom was supposed to go along with her, but she had some work thing to do; everyone knew she was the best at coming up with excuses.

The train sounded, the breaks squealing to a complete stop on the rusted tracks. "Guess this is my ride." She stood up from the bench and stuffed the red paperback book into her denim shoulder bag.

Just as she was about to board the train, Eli called after her. "I didn't catch your name!"

"Clare Edwards!" she yelled back with a kind smile before getting onto the train that was heading to Calgary. Eli watched after her with a smirk on his face, saying Clare's name over and over in his head so he wouldn't forget to look her up later.

xxx

Eli sat in his hotel room on the uncomfortable bed, his best friend Adam laying down on the one across from him. He'd just finished telling Adam about his meeting with Clare, and asking for advice. They couldn't find any of her information online, including FaceRange, and Eli was beginning to grow impatient. His book signing was in a half hour and he was too busy thinking about his mystery girl to get ready for the party. "Maybe this Clare Edwards chick isn't real," Adam suggested with a shrug.

"Are you implying I'm going crazy and made her up? She wasn't a delusion…"

"I was just saying, maybe she isn't that into you so she gave you a fake name." Eli shook his head at his best friend. He, himself had already thought of that earlier, but why would she lie after he told her he was being published? Not that he was calling her a gold digger or anything, but that would usually attract girls in. "Look man, you have a signing to get to and you're not even dressed. And don't tell me you're bailing, because I was looking forward to that snack table."

With a small laugh, Eli kicked his legs over the side of the bed to dig around in his suitcase. Adam was right, he couldn't pass up a chance this huge because of a girl he'll probably never see again; girls weren't exactly throwing themselves from the rafters for him.

Eli heaved on a pair of black skinny jeans and a dark gray blazer on over his Dead Hand Reunion t-shirt. He was supposed to be looking forward to this book signing and not wallowing in self-pity about some girl not wanting to be with him. He could exactly blame her; he wore eyeliner and all black clothes – she was the complete opposite of him.

He looked up at the clock on the wall, huffing loudly when he realized he had five minutes left until he had to be down in the lobby for his signing.

Adam observed over Eli disapprovingly – he wasn't going to let his best friend look like he just rolled out of bed to his very first book signing. He licked the tip of his finger and leaned in toward Eli, rolling his index finger over a smeared spot of his black eyeliner. Eli groaned and rubbed at his face, revolted. "Man, that's gross."

Adam laughed and blew Eli's bangs out of his eyes, fluffing his newly dyed black hair to give it that 'swoosh' look that drove the girls crazy. Eli rolled his eyes at his friend. "Let's go, _Fiona Coyne._" Eli headed toward the door with Adam trailing behind him. Adam was still a little awkward at the mention of Fiona's name after a harsh breakup a little over four months ago, but he was getting better.

xxx

Eli autographed another book; he's been at it for hours now and the line was only half way through. There must be something about a hot young writer who wrote about depression which made him stand out to young readers. He sipped at his bottled water, letting the water roll over his dried tongue as he rubbed his temples where a migraine had started.

"Would you mind signing my copy of _Host, _Elijah?" a sweet and gentle voice asked. He reached out to take the book from the girl slowly, opening it to the front page tiredly. "Make that out to Clare Edwards?"

His head snapped up almost immediately to be met with a pair of those pale blue eyes. He couldn't be more surprised to see Clare come to him.

She'd caught a glimpse of his boarding pass before she got on her train so she could search his signing. Clare never intended on that afternoon being the first and last they would ever see each other.

Smirking, Eli wrote on the front page;

_Clare, you're beautiful. Dinner tonight? Here's my number xxx-xxx-xxxx let me know._

_Yours, Eli Goldsworthy. _


End file.
